Mark Jean caught the filmmaking bug while attending Western Michigan University. Determined to become a director he packed a U-haul with junk furniture, six plants and a Bolex and headed west. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications & Film at San Diego State University before relocating to Los Angeles where he attended The American Film Institute on full scholarship, receiving a Masters Degree in Directing.

Jean won the George Foster Peabody Award for writing and directing a series of interstitials for Fox. He has directed multiple MOW’s, pilots and episodic series and written several screenplays. His first novel, PUDDLEJUMPERS, was published by Hyperion Books in 2008.

He directed and co-wrote the feature HOMECOMING based on the acclaimed best seller by Cynthia Voigt. The script received a WGA nomination for Best Longform Adaptation and the film, starring Anne Bancroft, took the Gold Award at the Houston International Film Festival.

Recently he directed two indie features, EARLY BIRD SPECIAL, a dark comedy, and FINN ON THE FLY, a family comedy which he also co-wrote. (Best Feature Film, Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival).

Jean wrote THE DRAGON HATCHER for Universal which he’ll direct later this year. For producers Mel Brooks and Jonathan Sanger he co-wrote BEAST OF BATAAN, a historical drama slated for production in 2010. Most recently he helmed COME DANCE AT MY WEDDING for Hallmark.